Impacts of Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) on Individuals’ Subjective Sense of Feeling Connected with Others

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are a substantial part of the multibillion dollar gaming industry. Millions of people of all ages across the globe engage in game play. With the average gamer logging 26.6 hours a week online instead of engaging in real world activities and responsibilities, this genre has created an international epidemic. In the last ten years the literature on this topic has gained interest and momentum. Researchers continue to explore the innumerable reaches of MMORPGs and how the gamer and their community are affected. The aim of this study was to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how the gamer relates to their world, both virtual and real, on a social level. The participants were gathered online mostly from within one particular MMORPG, Perfect World International. This study surveyed 103 participants with an online questionnaire. They were and given compensation in the form of virtual money. The electronic version of this dissertation is available free at Ohiolink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd